Monster Pontius – a free knitting pattern

These friendly monsters were conceived at my work in the Puppetry Workshop at Garvald Edinburgh. Garvald is an organisation that provides day service placements for people with support needs in and around Edinburgh. There are 3 centres in Edinburgh and one in Mayfield, Midlothian just outside Edinburgh. The centres offer a variety of workshops (mainly craft and food-based workshops) where people with special needs can learn new skills and develop their creative abilities and form meaningful relationships with other members and staff.

The Puppetry Workshop, where I mainly work, is now slowly working towards it’s next show ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and monster making in all shapes and forms is big at the moment. I looked all over the internet for a knitted monster pattern but couldn’t find any suitable ones, so I developed this one while supporting people with their knitting et.c. in the workshop.

I subsequently made a few monsters for a friend’s grandchildren and will be making a few for my nieces and nephews. You can download a PDF file with the pattern without most of the pictures by clicking the link below; see further below for the pattern for both monsters with more photos to illustrate.

Monster Pontius Knitting Pattern

The monsters are made with Drops Karisma, a 100% wool DK weight yarn, and 4 mm knitting needles, but other yarns can of course be used. I use carded wool fleece to stuff the monsters. It makes them very soft and wool is naturally fire retardant. The small monster measures 25 cm/ 10 inches from the top of the point to the bottom of the body, the large monster 40 cm/ 15 ½ inches. You can use thicker yarns to make them larger or thinner yarns to make them even smaller if so wished. The eyes for the monsters are crocheted and the instructions below are given in UK terms. If you can’t crochet you can easily make some from felt or stitch them in – or maybe it’s just time to learn how to crochet! 😉

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:

This pattern is my design and is covered by copyright law. You are welcome to sell what you make with this pattern, but you must credit me as the designer or, if you sell online, please post a link to my pattern. You may not sell or redistribute this pattern in any way or pass it off as your own work. If anyone asks for a copy please direct them to my website so they can get the pattern directly from here.

ABBREVIATIONS

k       knit

p       purl

st      stitch

sts     stitches

ss      stocking stitch

k2tog knit 2 together

p2tog purl 2 together

dec    decrease

inc     increase

 

LARGE MONSTER

BODY:

• cast on 60 stitches

• Stocking stitch 32 rows

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 1-2, 29-30, 31-32, 59-60 (56 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 1-2, 27-28, 29-30, 55-56 (52 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 1-2, 25-26, 27-28, 51-52 (48 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 23-24, 25-26, 47-48 (44 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 21-22, 23-24, 43-44 (40 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 19-20, 21-22, 39-40 (36 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 17-18, 19-20, 35-36 (32 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 15-16, 17-18, 31-32 (28 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 13-14, 15-16, 27-28 (24sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 11-12, 13-14, 23-24 (20 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 9-10, 11-12, 19-20 (16 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 7-8, 9-10, 15-16 (12 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 11-12 (8 sts)

• 16 rows stocking stitch

• 1 row k, k2tog x 4

• 1 row p

• Cast off

• Fold with the inside out and sew sides together, leaving the bottom open.

LEGS:

• Cast on 30 sts

• Stocking stitch 8 rows

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 14/15, 16/17 (28 sts)

• 1 row p, knit following sts tog 13/14, 15/16 (26 sts)

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 12/13, 14/15 (24 sts)

• 1 row p, knit following sts tog 11/12, 13-14 (22 sts)

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 10-11, 12-13 (20 sts)

• 1 row p, knit following sts tog 9-10, 11-12 (18 sts)

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 8-9, 10-11 (16 sts)

• 1 row p

• 24 rows stocking stitch

• Fold with the inside out and sew together, leaving the top open.

• To sew the legs onto the body place a leg at either side and pinch together the opening of both the body and the top of the leg. Now sew the leg and body together making sure the stitches are close together and as straight as possible. Repeat for the other leg and continue sewing the bottom of the body that is in between the legs together.

ARMS WITH CLAWS:

• Cast on 16

• Stocking stitch 24 rows

• at the start of next row increase 6 sts (22 sts)

• 1 row k

• at the start of next row inc 6 sts (28 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• at the start of next row cast off 6 sts (22 sts)

• 1 row k

• at the start of next row cast off 6 sts (16 sts)

• 1 row p

• stocking stitch 2 rows

• You will now make the two claws: Take off 12 sts and secure with a large safety pin or bit of yarn. You have 4 sts left on your needles

• 8 rows ss. Cast off. Repeat 3 more times, each time with the 4 next sts.

• Fold with the inside out and sew together, leaving the bottom open.

CROCHET EYES (UK TERMS):

• ch 3, ss in 1^st ch to form a ring.

• Ch 1, 8 dc in ring, ss in 1^st dc.

• Ch 1, 1 htr in same st, 1 htr + 1 tr in next st, 1 tr + 1 htr in next st, 1 htr + 1 dc in next st, 1 dc + 1 htr in next st, 1 htr + 1 tr in next st, 1 tr + 1 htr in next st, 1 htr + 1 dc in next st, ss in 1^st ch. Fasten off and sew in ends.

• Stitch the centre of the eyes with black thread.

MINI MONSTER

BODY:

• cast on 40 stitches

• Stocking stitch 24 rows

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 19-20, 21-22, 39-40 (36 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 17-18, 19-20, 35-36 (32 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 15-16, 17-18, 31-32 (28 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 13-14, 15-16, 27-28 (24sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 11-12, 13-14, 23-24 (20 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 9-10, 11-12, 19-20 (16 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 7-8, 9-10, 15-16 (12 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog: 1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 11-12 (8 sts)

• 12 rows stocking stitch

• 1 row k, k2tog x 4

• 1 row p

• Cast off

• Fold with the inside out and sew the sides together, leaving the bottom open.

LEGS:

• Cast on 20 sts

• Stocking stitch 6 rows

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 9-10, 11-12 (18 sts)

• 1 row p, knit following sts tog 8-9, 10-11 (16 sts)

• 1 row k, knit following sts tog 7-8, 9-10 (14 sts)

• 1 row p, knit following sts tog 6-7, 8-9 (12 sts)

• 18 rows stocking stitch

• Cast off.

• Fold with the inside out and sew together, leaving the top open.

• Sew legs and body together as indicated for the large monster.

ARMS WITH MITTEN:

• Cast on 12 sts

• 14 rows stocking stitch

• at the start of next row increase 4 sts (16 sts)

• 1 row k

• at the start of next row increase 4 sts (20 sts)

• 1 row p, 1 row k, 1 row p

• at the start of next row cast off 4 sts (16 sts)

• 1 row k

• at the start of next row cast off 4 sts (12 sts)

• I row p

• stocking stitch 2 rows

• 1 row k: k2tog, k 8, k2tog (10 sts)

• 1 row p: p 3, p2tog x 2, p 3 (8 sts)

• 1 row k: k2tog, k 4, k2tog (6 sts)

• 1 row p: p2tog x 3 (3 sts)

• cast off

• Fold with the inside out and sew sides together, leaving the bottom open.

CROCHET EYES (UK TERMS):

• 2 ch, 6 dc in 1^st ch, ss in 1^st dc. Pull end thread tight. (6 sts)

• 1 ch, 1 dc in same st, 1 dc + 1 htr in next st, 1 htr + 1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, 1 dc + 1 htr in next st, 1 htr + 1 dc in next st, ss in 1^st ch. Fasten off and sew in ends.

• Stitch the centre of the eyes with black thread.

  @ SARAPHIR QAA-RISHI 2016

  

I hope you like the pattern and – more importantly – that they light up those wee eyes when they see what you made for them…. I know that the first recipient of the ones I made privately was very happy with his – his sister named it TOLLY, and the purple one above is for her. If you have any questions about the pattern please ask, it’s the first knitting pattern I’ve written out, so it may be that it’s unconventional.

If you use Facebook, please feel free to share your pictures to my Facebook Page or if you use Instagram you can #monsterpontius and tag me @saraphir – I would love to be able to share your photos.

HAVE FUN MAKING!!